Nobel Prize in Medicine 2007 winner: Former University of Toronto scientist
®© The Nobel Foundation
Earlier this month, the Nobel Prize in Physiology and Medicine was announced for three scientists who co-discovered a method of gene targeting and “knockout mice”.
The three scientists are Mario Capecchi of the University of Utah, Oliver Smithies of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and Martin Evans of Cardiff University . It’s interesting to note that one of the Nobel laureates, Oliver Smithies, after receiving his doctorate in biochemistry at Oxford, started his career at the University of Toronto, Connaught Medical Research laboratories, where he worked for seven years.
Smithies invented techniques for gel electrphoresis and homologous recombination of transgenic DNA to target genes and thus alter animal genomes. Targeting genes to inactivate single genes has become a commonplace method to determine the roles of specific genes in physiology, aging, and disease states. These techniques are currently being applied in all fields of medicine, from laboratory research to therapeutic applications, for neurodegenerative diseases, diabetes and cancer. Smithies is currently using these techniques to examine cystic fibrosis.
More info:
Lincoln Kim is a member of the healthcare and life sciences team of the MaRS Venture Group. He evaluates and supports the development of technology platforms and commercial market opportunities of start up and emerging companies, facilitates collaboration among research groups and between research scientists and industry.
Quite an interesting story to come after our discussion of brain drain yesterday.
Another example of Naylor’s point: we’re not doing so well at keeping scientists in Canada.
Posted by: Cathy @ MaRS on October 30th, 2007 at 10:54 am